Deep below Death Valley"s charred surface, blazing hot magma once gushed up through a geologic fault until it hit groundwater. The magma quickly turned the water to steam, and like a defective subterranean pressure cooker, the Earth"s crust blew its top in a ferocious explosion. The hydrovolcanic eruption sent up a mushroom cloud of steam and spewed burnt volcanic cinders for miles. It also left the giant crater seen in this photo and 12 smaller ones spread across the surface.
When Death Valley blew its top
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Happy New Year!
-
International Rock Day
-
Life carries on, rising from a ship s skeleton
-
Bear watching in the Finnish forest
-
Nothing plain about it
-
Sleep tight, little hedgehog
-
Tasmans Arch, Tasmania, Australia
-
A path lain with petals
-
National Fossil Day
-
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
-
Giving Tuesday
-
Almond trees in full bloom, California
-
National Rivers Month
-
Dressed to impress
-
World Philosophy Day
-
A silent witness to history
-
Celebrating the Day of the Dead
-
Celebrating the first day of spring
-
Who left the tub running?
-
Celebrating Helsinki’s birthday at the Kiasma Museum
-
National Go Birding Day
-
It s National Camera Day. Get the picture?
-
Boxing Day
-
Glenfinnan Viaduct
-
Bright and colorful peacock feathers
-
Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
-
Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
-
A day to celebrate the sun
-
Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California
-
Taking the forest to the cloud
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

